3.5 Eberron: DM Character Convincing

[Getsugaru]

Hello all!

So one of the folks I play with is thinking of running an Eberron campaign, and is open to most things as long as they make sense and have a justifiable reason for being in the campaign. Recently, I've been thinking of playing some kind of weaponmaster, and hearing about this game made it sound like it might be fun to do so in his game. There's only one problem: the race I think I want to play is an Anthropomorphic Whale1.

You see, I'm known for my enjoyment of playing unusual races (the very first character I ever played was a Viletooth Lizardfolk), and - when combined with my lack of knowledge of the setting - leaves me unsure how I could fit such a character into the game legitimately. So I've come to ask for suggestions; I've been flipping through the ECS, and Droaam looks like it could theoretically work, but the question still remains why an anthropomorphic whale would be there (minimal coastline activity, etc.). Any thoughts and suggestions related to the topic would be helpful and appreciated.

1 Savage Species, 214-217

[Troacctid]

Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron has this to say on the topic.

What about kenku in Eberron? How about tritons or tabaxi? How do genasi fit into things? There’s a place for everything in Eberron, but it’s always up to the DM to decide how significant that place is. If you want to play a member of a race that hasn’t been addressed here, talk with your DM and come up with an option. What role do you want the race to play in the world?

Widespread. It’s always possible to change the default assumptions of the setting. If both you and your DM like the idea that the Dhakaani Empire was a nation of goliaths rather than goblinoids, you can make that change. So there’s nothing wrong with adding a new race into the common population of the Five Nations, as long as everyone likes the idea of it.

Exotic. There are many places in Eberron where a small population of unusual creatures could exist. Perhaps there’s a lost city of tabaxi in the jungles of Xen’drik, or a clan of Kenku dwelling at the top of Sharn’s tallest tower. The Mourning could have transformed a city of humans into bee-people. As with dragonborn or tieflings, this allows these races to have some sort of culture to interact with but keeps them from affecting the world in a significant way.

Unique. When introducing a character of an unusual race, one option is to say that you’re the only member of that race. Perhaps you were created by the mysterious daelkyr or the brilliant transmuter Mordain the Fleshweaver. Maybe you’re the result of magebreeding experiments conducted by House Vadalis and House Jorasco. Perhaps you began life as a member of another race and were transformed by the Mourning. While the DM always has the final say as to whether to allow an unusual race into the campaign, the important thing is to determine the story you’re looking for!
I think the third option would make the most sense for a concept like yours.

[Deophaun]

Just say that you have no idea how you got there, only that your first memory is waking up next to a bowl of petunias.

[Nifft]

Just say that you have no idea how you got there, only that your first memory is waking up next to a bowl of petunias.

DM: "Oh no, not again."